Laurens County is a county in South Carolina, United States, in the Upstate region south of Greenville. It had a population of 67,539 at the 2020 census and covers 722.93 square miles (1,872.4 km2) centred near 34°29′N 82°01′W.
Laurens is the county seat, and its postal code is 29360. The county has 3 incorporated cities, 4 towns and several unincorporated communities, all in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Laurens County
Laurens County’s map is a mix of incorporated cities and towns strung along US 76 and US 221, and a much larger scatter of rural crossroads communities that never incorporated. The table below marks each place’s status; Unincorp. entries are historic named communities without their own municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglers Haven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baldwin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Barksdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Black Gate | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bonds Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brewerton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clinton | City | — | 29325 |
| Cold Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Collins Lakeside Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cooks Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cross Hill | Town | — | 29332 |
| Ekom | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fountain Inn | City | — | — |
| Goodwins Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gray Court | Town | — | 29645 |
| Green Pond | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harris Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hickory Tavern | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Irby | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Isle of Pines | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Joanna | Unincorp. | — | 29351 |
| Kinards | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lanford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laurens | City · seat | — | 29360 |
| Long Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lydia Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Madden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Martin Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Milton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Gallagher | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountville | Unincorp. | — | 29370 |
| Neighbors Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ora | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Owings | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Philson Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Land Shores | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poplar Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Princeton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Renno | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smallwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stomp Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tylersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ware Shoals | Town | — | — |
| Waterloo | Town | — | 29384 |
| Watts Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wattsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Plains Crossroad | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Youngs | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two places on this list straddle county lines. Fountain Inn’s city limits lie mostly in Greenville County, with only its southern edge in Laurens County. Ware Shoals, built around a former hydroelectric dam on the Saluda River, is split between Laurens, Greenwood and Abbeville counties.
ZIP Codes
- 29360 — Laurens
- 29325 — Clinton
- 29645 — Gray Court
- 29332 — Cross Hill
- 29384 — Waterloo
- 29351 — Joanna
- 29370 — Mountville
Most of the county’s smaller crossroads communities use the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Laurens County sits in the Piedmont, a belt of rolling hills and red clay between the Blue Ridge foothills and the coastal plain. Lake Greenwood, a reservoir on the Saluda River, forms part of the county’s southern border with Greenwood County; the Enoree River runs along the northern county line. Of the county’s total area, roughly 712.9 square miles are land and 10.1 square miles are water.
Laurens County borders Spartanburg County to the north, Union County to the northeast, Newberry County to the east, Greenwood County to the south, Abbeville County to the southwest, Anderson County to the west and Greenville County to the northwest.
Demographics
Laurens County had a population of 67,539 at the 2020 census, a density of about 93 people per square mile. The two largest communities are Laurens, the county seat, and Clinton, home to Presbyterian College. Median household income in the county trails the South Carolina median of $67,804, reflecting a rural, manufacturing-heavy economy rather than the state’s growing Upstate metro corridor.
Economy & Local Life
Textiles and other manufacturing have long anchored the county’s economy, alongside agriculture in its rural east and south. Clinton is home to Presbyterian College, a private liberal-arts college founded in 1880 that is also the town’s largest employer. Laurens County Health Care System and Laurens County School District 55 and 56 are among the county’s other major employers. The county lies within the wider Greenville-Anderson metro area, and many residents commute northwest along I-385 or US 25 for work.
History
Laurens County was established on March 12, 1785, and named for Henry Laurens, a South Carolina statesman who served as the fifth president of the Continental Congress. The county was the site of the 1780 Battle of Musgrove Mill, fought along the Enoree River on its northern border — one of the earliest engagements in which American militia defeated regular British troops during the Revolutionary War’s southern campaign.
Getting There
Interstate 26 crosses the county’s southeast corner and Interstate 385 clips its northeast edge, with US Routes 76, 221 and 25 providing the main local corridors. From Laurens:
- Greenville — about 35 miles northwest
- Spartanburg — about 30 miles northeast
- Greenwood — about 25 miles south
- Columbia — about 55 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Laurens County, South Carolina?
It is in the Upstate region of South Carolina, south of Greenville, centred near 34°29′N 82°01′W.
What is the population of Laurens County?
67,539 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Laurens County?
722.93 square miles (1,872.4 km2), of which about 10.1 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Laurens County?
Laurens is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Laurens County?
Three incorporated cities (Clinton, Fountain Inn and Laurens) and four towns (Cross Hill, Gray Court, Ware Shoals and Waterloo), plus dozens of unincorporated crossroads communities.
What ZIP codes are in Laurens County?
29360 (Laurens), 29325 (Clinton), 29645 (Gray Court), 29332 (Cross Hill), 29384 (Waterloo), 29351 (Joanna) and 29370 (Mountville).
What is Laurens County known for?
Presbyterian College in Clinton and the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Musgrove Mill, fought on the county’s northern border in 1780.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in South Carolina.